Making Up for Lost Holidays
by actions-we-remember
Summary: A holiday oneshot to go along with the hundred others popping up. The Doctor takes Rose to a festive vacation planet to try to make up for the Christmases he's ruined. Bits of 10Rose, because I'm a sucker for it.


**Oooh, look at me, jumping into a "new" fandom at Christmastime. I must be insane. Ah, well, thought I'd show my face for a oneshot before I threw up a longer fic...which should happen. Eventually. Maybe.**

**Clearly, I don't own Doctor Who. I write _fan_fiction, for goodness sake. However, I expect that I _will_ own the DVDs (finally) come tomorrow, if my parents have listened to me. That counts, right?**

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"Alright, nearly there…just push down that lever there—no, the one next to it."

"This one?" Rose asked, pointing. The Doctor nodded as he hopped around, one foot reaching for a button as his hands worked at several knobs.

"Yes, that one—slowly, push it too suddenly and it'll be a rough landing."

"Aren't they always rough?" Rose asked cheekily. The Doctor winked in response.

"On my count, then—three, two…," he shoved at the button with his foot, "one!"

Rose was suddenly jerked off of her feet as the TARDIS came to a sudden, rough stop. She landed with a thump on the grating, already laughing. The Doctor landed beside her, beaming up at the console.

"Always consistent," he laughed, leaping to his feet and holding out a hand to help Rose. She took it.

"Go on, where are we, then?" she asked while the Doctor bounced excitedly away, pulling on his long coat. He spun around at the door, putting his hand on the handle with a flourish.

"A lovely little vacation planet called Jocunda, in the year 3,042," he explained, grinning like a small child. "I'd put a coat on if I were you. You're going to need it."

With that, he pushed open the door and stepped outside. Rose followed at a trot, grabbing her jacket and throwing it over her shoulders on the way. She pushed through the door—and stopped, staring.

The TARDIS had landed on the edge of a sort of wood on a hill. Everything was covered in a thick blanket of the whitest snow Rose had ever seen. In the distance, she could make out the lighted windows and streetlamps of a town. The sky was a bright pinkish-orange from the setting sun, poking out from between fluffy snow clouds from which snow was still falling. Rose spun in a slow circle, taking everything in. It was absolutely breathtaking.

"Jocunda," the Doctor said, watching Rose with a smile, hands in his trench coat pockets. "The planet with year-round Christmas festivities. Snow never gets dirty. Lights are always up. Carols are the music of choice. A haven for the holiday."

"It's beautiful," Rose breathed, lifting her hands, palms up, watching as the snowflakes gathered.

"I thought you'd like it." Rose could practically hear the smile in the Doctor's voice. "It's been a while since we had a quiet Christmas. Thought I'd try to make it up to you."

Rose laughed, letting her eyes fall back to the Doctor. Snow was settling in the flyaway waves of his hair and the shoulders of his jacket. Rose wondered if the snow made her look as good as it made him look.

"What's over there?" she asked, mostly to distract herself, pointing in the direction of the town. The Doctor glanced over at it.

"If I'm correct," he said, "then _that_ is the town of Aatto. The universe's capitol for holly."

"Can we go there?" Rose asked eagerly, linking arms with the Doctor. He smiled.

"Of course."

The town was as pretty as the woods surrounding it. Rose turned her head this way and that, gawking at the many decorations in each and every home. All of the windows glittered with candles and multi-coloured lights, every door was covered in wreaths and garlands. Holly was absolutely everywhere: strung between lights, dangling over doorsteps, even attached to candles. It was as if she'd stepped into _A Christmas Carol_—except some of the people strolling past were definitely not human. The Doctor guided Rose by the arm patiently as she nearly ran into yet another alien in the bustling streets, too busy looking around to pay attention.

"I've never seen so many decorations," Rose said as they walked, stopping her gaping long enough to look at the Doctor. "It looks like this every day?"

"Yep," he replied, popping the 'p'. "They switch it up every once in a while. Replaced candles with electric lights a few decades ago, bought new plants to replace dying ones, that sort of thing. Their decorations are like their gardens."

"And it's Christmas every day," she sighed. "That would get old, wouldn't it?"

"Well, it's more like the Christmas _season_ every day," the Doctor corrected. "Can't buy presents for everyone every day, can you? You'd go broke."

"Hm," Rose replied vaguely, smiling as a group of children sprinted past them. "I would have loved to live here as a kid."

"It is beautiful," the Doctor agreed. "And a bit chilly, isn't it? Why don't we pop in somewhere, grab some hot chocolate?"

They did, stepping into the nearest restaurant and ordering two steaming mugs. The warm air and drinks heated them up in no time, but the Doctor and Rose stayed where they were for quite a while, talking with the locals and other visitors, laughing, and singing along with the live carolers the pub provided. Some of them were foreign ones Rose didn't know from planets she'd never heard of, but she listened and enjoyed them all the same. It was the coziest atmosphere Rose had ever been in, made even better by the man holding her hand.

When they finally left, the sun had fallen completely, and everything was illuminated in the orange-y lights of the street lamps. Rose and the Doctor held hands tightly as the ambled along the street, not talking but just enjoying each other's company. As they passed a building with particularly large windows, Rose tugged the Doctor to a stop.

"Hang on," she said. "I won't be a minute. Don't move."

She dashed inside, leaving the Doctor outside. He glanced at the window to see "Holiday Holly: Finest in the Galaxy" etched into the glass. He smiled and waited for Rose to reappear.

"Can't come to the capitol of holly without buying any, can you?" Rose remarked when she did emerge a few minutes later, holding a small bag. "They've got loads in all sorts of things."

"That's what makes them the capitol," the Doctor replied as they set off again. "They're the most creative."

"It's wonderful here," Rose agreed, leaning against the Doctor's arm. "Thank you for bring me."

"It's my pleasure," the Doctor assured her as they reached the end of the town. Rose smiled at him, pressing her tongue against her teeth. The Doctor's hearts thumped quickly against his ribs, but he shook it off and returned her smile. The sounds of the town had faded to a distant murmur when Rose came to a stop again.

"Almost forgot," she said, bending down.

"What's wrong? Did you drop something?" the Doctor asked. Rose straightened and shook her head.

"It's snowing," she pointed out needlessly. The Doctor raised an eyebrow. Rose smiled impishly. "Well, what's snow without a snowball fight?"

The Doctor's eyes widened and he tried to duck, but Rose was too quick. She hurled her snowball at him, hitting him in the shoulder, and ran away, giggling wildly.

"Ooh, Rose Tyler," the Doctor said, grinning madly. "You asked for it."

He bent down and scooped snow into his hands. Rose laughed in the distance, taunting him. The Doctor threw his own snowball with a fierce "_Ha!_", and heard a satisfying thump as it collided with Rose's leg. His victory was short-lived, however. Within seconds, a second ball rammed into his chest, right below his left heart. Rose cheered.

"Come on, Doctor!" she called, preparing for another throw. "Are you gonna let the little human beat the great Time Lord?"

"Never!" the Doctor called back, tossing another snowball. He saw Rose do the same and dodged it. "I'm too quick for you, Tyler!"

Another ball reached its target in his stomach. He threw a third, then immediately ducked to organize his next attack. Rose's laughter reverberated through the air.

"Come out, come out, Doctor!" she giggled, snow crunching beneath her boots as she walked. The Doctor crawled forward, keeping low to the ground, a snowball in each hand. Rose aimed for his hunched form. Icy cold exploded down the Doctor's back as her snowy missile made contact. The Doctor sprung upward, took aim, and fired. Rose squealed as it hit her chest. They were mere feet away from each other now.

Grinning, the Doctor sprung, snowball poised in his hand, as Rose lobbed her final attack, just barely hitting his shoulder. The Doctor collided with Rose, bringing his snowball-filled hand down over both of their heads as they fell. Laughter burst out of the Doctor's lungs as he landed on his side in the snow, Rose right beside him. She laughed along with him, gasping for air and pink-cheeked.

"I think it's a tie, Doctor," she wheezed. The Doctor nodded.

"One day I'll get you back for that," he promised breathlessly, then laughed again. Rose giggled helplessly, and the Doctor felt her breath dance along his cheeks across the scant inches between them. A shiver that had little to do with the cold ran down his spine.

"You would never," Rose replied, grinning her special grin. The Doctor raised an eyebrow.

"Never say never," he warned mischievously and rolled onto his back. "Right, then, the stars await. Lots more fun to be had on other planets."

He extended his hand, pulling Rose to her feet. Stray bits of snow still clung to both of them. Rose laughed.

"We look like walking snowmen," she chuckled, trying to wipe some of it off, and dropping her bag in the process. The Doctor bent to pick it up, and noticed what was inside.

"Mistletoe?" he said dubiously, pulling it out of the bag. "What's that for?"

Rose snatched it back, blushing a little, to the Doctor's surprise.

"Mum used to have mistletoe all over the house when I was little," she explained uncomfortably.

"I'll bet she did, yeah," the Doctor quipped, and Rose couldn't help but grin.

"It reminds me of Christmas," she continued, shrugging. "And I thought it was pretty."

"That it is," the Doctor agreed. He could tell Rose didn't want to say more than that, and, despite his curiosity, knew it would do no good to question further. "Well, no use talking about it in the snow. Off to the TARDIS." He and Rose set off, Rose still flushed a little more than necessary. The blue shape of the TARDIS loomed into view amongst the trees, and the Doctor let them inside silently, stepping aside so Rose could enter first. He leapt in after her, closing the door on the snowy world of Jocunda.

"Alrighty then," he trilled, clapping his hands together excitedly as he marched up to the console. "Where to next?"

"Actually, Doctor," Rose replied slowly, "I was hoping we could get some sleep? It's been a big day. Saving a planet in the morning and Christmas night in time for dinner. Can it wait until tomorrow?"

She turned her big eyes on him, and he knew right then it was hopeless. Anyone else in the galaxy, and he would have begged for one more adventure, but not Rose Tyler.

"Sure. Tomorrow," he said, taking his hand off of the lever he'd been about to pull. Rose smiled.

"Thank you," she said, walking up to give him a hug. She buried her face in his chest, breathing deeply for a moment before pulling away. He smiled down at her, and Rose felt her heart skip a beat. Impulsively she plunged her hand into her bag and pulled the mistletoe out. Before she had time to think about what she was doing, she lifted it above their heads, stretching up on her toes to press a quick kiss to his lips.

"Merry Christmas, Doctor," she whispered as they broke apart, blushing again, and walked away before he could say anything. She knew she probably shouldn't have done that, but the temptation had been too great. It had only been a small kiss, and a friendly one. Nothing more. But that didn't stop the surge of electric happiness from coursing through her as she walked away.

The Doctor watched her retreating form, mouth slightly open, for once speechless. His usually busy mind was full with a kind of buzzing sound that sounded vaguely like '_Rose…Rose…Rose_'. She was nearly out of the room by the time the Doctor regained the power of speech.

"Merry Christmas," he said, smiling despite himself, "Rose."

Rose paused to look at the Doctor over her shoulder. He was standing where she left him, watching her leave, a small smile in place. She smiled back, then left, headed to her room for a good night's sleep before their next adventure.

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**Nothing like a good dose of fluffy cliches to clear out your head for that rough-and-tumble stuff that is so very enticing. Hope you all liked it, and I would like to hear about it if you did. Or if you didn't. That'd be nice, too. :)**

**Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas, and the Happiest of Holidays (alliteration, you fiend),  
Brighteyes**


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